A caller to the newspaper summed up our thoughts exactly Tuesday morning. Have you looked at the front page today, he wondered aloud. Why in the world, in a tourism town, is the front page splattered with such negativity -- shootings, solicitation of murder, and more murder?
Why, indeed?
We really appreciate the call; we always do. We are grateful for each of our readers, especially those who take the time to call and comment on the news of the day, the weather, or whatever suits their taste.
But this call struck a chord because we had been wondering the exact same thing: What is happening in our town?
We just welcomed 62,062 basketball fans to Hot Springs over a three-day period for the 2017 high school basketball state championships at Bank of the Ozarks Arena, according to figures released Monday by the Arkansas Activities Association. Attendance was down from last year, when Hot Springs hosted the highest-attended championships, 67,410, out of the nine years the finals have been played in Hot Springs. The difference may come down to a single game featuring Malik Monk in 2016, according to Visit Hot Springs.
You would never have known the crowds were down, though, had you driven past the labyrinth of cars parked on the side streets surrounding the convention center on Friday evening.
But you probably would have also noted a swarm of police cars on Spring Street, where a Hot Springs man was arrested for allegedly slashing tires on four different vehicles, causing $1,600 in damages.
Unfortunately, that experience is how some out-of-town sports fans will forever remember their visit to Hot Springs -- not cheering on their team; not tipping a friendly waitress for a great meal; not safely gassing up their car before heading home. Those positive experiences are washed away in a sea of negativity, and that's something we have to rectify as a community.
Many of us tend to turn a blind eye to the violence and drug activity that permeates our community, as if it is self-contained to the criminal element. And while we tend to agree that many such incidences seldom seem to involve innocent bystanders, it is especially alarming that one was injured in a hail of 36 gunshots exchanged between three men Saturday night near the busy intersection of Grand and Central avenues.
It is fortunate that none of the four men who were injured wound up dead. And we are extremely thankful that none of those stray bullets found their way into a car, considering that, aside from basketball fans, many residents had just attended the annual Heart Ball at the convention center.
Hot Springs Police Chief Jason Stachey told the newspaper on Monday that citizens who are concerned about the safety of the Grand-Central intersection should keep in mind that it is "one of the most visible areas within the city of Hot Springs."
"It has a high volume of traffic and pedestrian traffic in that area. It is a central location in Hot Springs. Obviously, we will look at incidents of crime at that one location and determine if we need to make any adjustments, or if we need to be proactive. Whatever we can do to address (any issues), if we see there are any issues that arise from this investigation," Stachey said.
It is up to us, as a community, to be proactive, as well. Whatever we need to do as citizens -- whether it is participating in a neighborhood watch group, enrolling in the Hot Springs Police Department's Citizens Police Academy, or just being more diligent in our day-to-day lives -- is worth the effort to make this a safer community.
Tourism is our community's lifeblood. If we invite people to visit, we need to make sure they feel safe once they are here. That benefits everyone, tourists and citizens alike.
Editorial on 03/15/2017